Packing for rotary engines.



No. 823,428. PATENTED JUNE 12. 1906.

1). MORELL.

PACKING FOR ROTARY ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. 1906.

7%2'671656 ea v Invergo 7".- 6. XI /QWW I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PACKING FOR ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed May 10, 1906. Serial No. 316,183.

in a Packing for Rotary Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to rotary-engine packings of the type in which thelateral packing is effected by disks mounted in the cylinder and movablelongitudinally of the latter, which are pressed against the piston bythe driving fluid to an extent substantially equal to the pressure inthe cylinder and in which the spaces between the packing-disks andthe-opposite heads of the cylinder are each divided into a large numberof compartments which communicate with the piston-chamber, so as toeffect a better balance in pressure in the space between eachpacking-disk and the adjacent cylinder-head and the interior of thecylinder.

The primary object of my invention is to limit the movement of eachpacking-disk in a radial direction, so as to obviate close fitting ofthe packing-disks -in the cylinder, and

- thereby avoid the catching of the disk, which heretofore has occurredon the expansion of the diskupon becomingheated and a secondary objectof the invention is to prevent the driving fluid from escaping over thecircumference of the disk from a chamber within the cylinder having arelatively high pressure to a second chamber having a relatively lowerpressure either by flowing in the direction of rotation of the piston orin an opposite direction.

The invention includes the combination and arrangement of componentparts to be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompan ing drawings, which illus trate one exemplification ofmy invention, Figure 1 is an end elevation of the packing-disk. Fig. 2is a longitudinal sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. 1, through the end ofa cylinder having one of the disks associated therewith. Fig. 3 is anedge view of a fragment of the disk. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of amodification. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the modification.Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same.

But one end of a cylinder is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,as the opposite end is a duplicate thereof, and it is consequentlyunnecessary to either illustrate or describe the same in detail.

The packing-disk is indicated by a and is mounted in the cylinder tohave a movement axially of the same, this disk being interposed betweenthe cylinder-head and the adjacent end of the piston. The innerface ofthe disk, which comes into contact with the side face of the revolvingpiston, is made perfectly smooth, while the outer face of the disk isprovided with a recess 1) concentric with the axis of the engine-shaftand with a plurality of radial grooves or channels which extend from thewall of the recess through the periphery of the disk. In each of thesegrooves a suitable packing-block e is located, which is pressed intocontact with the adjacent head of the cylinder by one or more springsloacted in pockets in the disks in line wit the grooves. The head d hasa circular projection with its periphery concentric with the axis of theengine-shaft, which fits snugly within the recess 6. The space betweenthe periphery of the projection, the inner eriphery of the cylinder, andthe opposing aces of the cylinder-head and disk (1, respectively, isdivided into a series of independent compartments by the blocks e, andto better insure the independence of the com artments or prevent theleakage of steam om one into the other one ormore packing-blocks g isarranged between the periphery of the disk and the adjacent eriphery ofthe cylinder at the ends of each b ock e. As shown in Fig. 1, two blocksor strips g are associated with the end of each radial strip 6, theformer being "located in channels or recesses in the periphery of thedisk a and normally pressed outwardly by suitable springs g. As shown inFigs. 5 and 6, the peripheral packings of the disk are formed bycontinuations of the radial packings.

The portion of the packing-disk a which constitutes the inner wall ofthe recess 6 is always under a uniform pressure, while the peripheralpart of the disk, which is divided into a series of compartments by theblocks 6, is

under varying pressures corresponding to the change of pressure in thecylinder during the revolution of the piston. The communication betweenthese chambers and the piston-chamber of the cylinder is had through thespaces between the periphery of the disk at and the inner periphery ofthe cylinder at the points between the longitudinally-extending packingblocks or strips; but other IIO means may be provided to affordpassageways. The packing-disk illustrated is for a rotary engine with asingle shaft; but from the disclosure herein it willbe obvious to oneskilled in the art how the form illustrated may be modified to adapt theinvention to an engine with more than one shaft.

I claim as my invention 1 In a rotary engine, the combination with thecylinder of a packing-disk located at one end thereof designed to moveaxially of the same, said disk having a plane inner face designed tocontact with the piston and a recessed outer face, a cylinder-headprovided with a projection snugly fitting said recess and means fordividing the space between the disk and head outside of said projectioninto a plurality of compartments comprising a plurality ofpacking-blocks spaced a distance from one another, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder of apacking-disk mounted at one end thereof designed to have movementaxially of the same, said disk having a plane inner face designed tocoact with the end of the piston and a recess in its outer face, acylinder-head provided with a projection snugly fitting within saidrecess and means for dividing the space between the disk and head to theoutside of said projection into a plurality of compartments comprising aplurality of radially-arranged packing-blocks held in the outer side ofthe disk and a plurality of longitudinally-arranged packing-blocksarranged in the periphery of the disk substantially coincident with theradially-arranged blocks, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder of apacking-disk located at one end thereof designed to have movementaxially of the same, said disk having a plane inner face coacting withthe side of the piston and an outer face having a recess therein withits peripheral wall arranged substantially concentric to the axis of theenine-shaft, a plurality of channels radiating rom said recess andperipheral channels sub stantially coincident with said radial channels, a cylinder-head having a projection fit ting within the recess inthe outer face of the disk and packing-blocks located within saidchannels, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder of apacking-disk located at one end thereof designed to have movementaxially of the same, said disk having a plane inner face coacting withthe side of the piston and an outer face having a recess therein withits peripheral wall arranged substantially concentric to the axis of theenine-shaft, a plurality of channels radiating from said recess andperipheral channels substantially coincident with said radial channels,a cylinder-head having a projection fitting within the recess in theouter face of the disk packing-block located in the channels and springscoacting with the packing-blocks located in pockets within the disk inregister with the channels, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder of apacking-disk located at one end thereof designed to have movementaxially of the same, said disk having an outer face provided with arecess and channels radiating from the recess and the periphery of saiddisks being provided with longitudinally-extending channels arranged onopposite sides of the ends of the first-named channels, a cylinder-headhaving a projection fitting within the recess of the outer face of thedisk and packing-blocks held within said channels, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID MORELL.

Witnesses THEODORE BUDSEN, PAUL SCHMIDT.

